Deal over plate

The BJP’s tally in UP will decide which plate its state chief Laxmikant Bajpai eats from, given his promise to Amit Shah. Bajpai has been eating in steel utensils since 1964 when he had stopped eating from crockeries made of ceramics, glass or bone china. Shah was irked by this habit during meetings last year. At […]

The BJP’s tally in UP will decide which plate its state chief Laxmikant Bajpai eats from, given his promise to Amit Shah. Bajpai has been eating in steel utensils since 1964 when he had stopped eating from crockeries made of ceramics, glass or bone china. Shah was irked by this habit during meetings last year. At one time, they struck a deal that if the BJP crosses 40 seats in UP, Bajpai will abandon his practice. With exit polls predicting BJP getting past that figure, Bajpai may be bracing to change his plates.

FRIDAY FEVER

While the whole country is keenly awaiting the May 16 election results, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to the Election Commission urging it to declare the day as a national holiday “to enable the people of India to watch live updates and proceedings of the counting of votes through various news channels”. It has also directed its state units to arrange live proceedings at district levels where traders can watch the counting results collectively at one place. The CAIT said their community has a special interest in the counting of votes as the high rising NPAs of the core banking sector is one of the major causes of concern for them.

AN ODD QUERY

In its investigations into the VVIP chopper scandal, the CBI got what it considered a rather unusual query from the Law Ministry while it was processing permissions to quiz two sitting Governors — former NSA M K Naryanan and former SPG Chief B V Wanchoo. The ministry is believed to have queried the CBI whether it was seeking to question the duo as suspects or witnesses. Though taken aback with the query that amounted to disclosing information on an ongoing investigation, the CBI is believed to have written that the two are at present being considered as witnesses for the case.

STAYING POSITIVE

Congress treasurer Motilal Vora has to be the most optimistic Congressmen. Or, so it seems from the fact that he has given a tally of 140 seats for the party to Sonia Gandhi and other colleagues, who do not see the party crossing 120. “I don’t know which Panditji has given him this figure,” a senior Congress general secretary wondered.